Survivor 14

[Alex]

I'd say the ****** version is reasonably well known though, of course, not universally so. Especially among younger people. Non-****** versions of the rhyme long pre-date, but it was the dominant form of the poem in American for quite a while.

It was one of three pop-cultural uses of the word "******" I grew up with (though only used when very young before I even knew what the word meant. My mom straightened me out pretty quickly (because of IHOP, actually).

****** knocking (knocking on a door and running away)
****** toes (Brazil nuts)
"catch a ****** by his toe"


But it is one of those things that every once in a while gets someone in trouble for using it without being aware of how it is perceived by many American blacks. A few years ago a flight attendant used the rhyme (a clean version) and black passengers sued because they felt humiliated (I believe they lost).

I have no idea what Lisi intended, but for PR purposes with an all black final three it was at best an unfortunate choice.